Destruction
by KKStJimmy
Summary: Takes place from a few months after the musical left off. Johnny is slowly building a better life for himself when news of his old friend Jimmy threatens to destroy everything he has achieved.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello to anyone who actually stumbles across this! I am a maniac, ladies and gentlemen and as such have decided to attempt the ultimate fanfiction 200 prompt challenge where each story must be a multichapter and at least 20,000 words. This is for the prompt 'destroy'. Jimmy is a real person in this story and the characters without names have been named after the actor/actress who played them on Broadway**

**Title: Destruction**

**Chapter 1**

**Rating T: Drugs,Language and possibly more in later chapters**

Johnny awoke to the sound of screaming coming from the floor below. He didn't even open his eyes as he listened to the familiar occurrence of his mum and Brad arguing. It was for the best, really, if he had gone down Brad would simply turn his attention to him and his mum would probably be shocked when she remembered that he even existed. Johnny glanced to his alarm clock before jolting up.

Shit! He'd have to get ready quick or he'd be late for work. He threw off the covers and headed to the wardrobe, also known as the pile of clothes on his floor. He threw on an old t-shirt before picking up his wallet as he flew to the door of his bedroom and thundered down the stairs.

"What the fuck do you want?" Brad turned to him, the usual look of disgust in his silver eyes. His eyes had always been what Johnny had feared when he was younger. There was never any affection in those eyes, they were cold, metallic. As though he was a robot not a human with no emotions, just his ideas of what Johnny should amount to, and what would happen if he didn't.

"I'm just going to work." Johnny replied without emotion as he headed into the kitchen passing his mum who looked at him with dead eyes. He had memories of his mum when she was young and full of life. Before his dad died his mum had been so happy all the time. She had always been happy to see Johnny and his dad. Johnny had vague memories of running round the park laughing with his parents and curling up on the couch in between them both. Then it all changed.

* * *

><p>An empty shell sat on the couch, staring blankly at the wall as though it held the secrets of the universe.<p>

"Mum? You okay?" Johnny stepped into the room slowly throwing his bag to the side.

"Johnny." His mum finally tore her gaze from the wall and in that look, and that word Johnny instantly knew.

"Where's Dad?"

His mum had broken down then, tried to approach him. He stepped back knowing that her touch would break him before he could get the answers that he wanted.

"Johnny..."

A sigh.

"No mum. Where's Dad?"

"I'm sorry." She was beyond broken at that point. She just stopped, sank into a chair staring at the wall again.

"That's it? Sorry? You think that's fucking good enough. You're fucking useless. I wish it was you instead of him. Fuck you!"

With that he had ran, adolescent hormones powering the emotions of the tragic event. He had ran to Will's house. Will had simply took one look at him before ushering him in, leading him past Will's mum and up to the bedroom. Johnny didn't even notice movement in the room, the next thing he knew Tunny and Heather also sat in front of him. Heather had held him when he finally broke down. Tunny had given him advice on what to do next, how to cope, what to say to his mum, and Will...Will had just been there for him. Will had always been a man of few words, even back then, but there was something about Will. However Will always seemed to know instinctively what anyone needed, even back then when they were just kids.

* * *

><p>He had gone back to his house the next day, his tail between his legs and apologised to his mum. He had found her unresponsive, the burnt out shell that she still seemed to be to this day. She had changed that day, they both had and there was simply no connection anymore. Johnny couldn't help but think that although her heart still beat that she had died that day too, as cliché as that was, everything about her was different. The hair that had once been a vibrant brown that matched the warmth in her eyes was now mousy and dead, hanging limply at her shoulders. Her skin was dull and yellowed from smoking solidly for twenty years, creased by the worries and stress of trying to find her way back to life and learning to cope without the man she loved, and with a problem teenager who had lost his father.<p>

"You call that shit hole work do you? Still I suppose it's better than what you used to do. Laying about with those other idiot stoners. Thinking you know what you're talking about when it comes to the world. You don't know shit."

Johnny was well used to ignoring Brad by now but he still felt the familiar anger bubble up inside him as his friends were badmouthed. He grabbed a breakfast bar as he reflected that really, it was Brad who knew nothing. Sure Johnny had never amounted to anything, but neither had Brad really. If he was so great why was he living in this hell hole in Suburbia, married to a widow with a loser stepson? At least Johnny had been slowly building a life for himself since he had returned to the city just over a year ago. He shook his head to stop himself dwelling on unpleasant memories from the city and thought instead of his friends. Tunny who had come back from the war having lost a leg, but gained a new life with Christina. She had saved him and he insisted on telling anyone that would listen. Will and Johnny always groaned when he called her his extraordinary girl but secretly Johnny thought it was kind of sweet and he was definitely happy for his friend. Will, who had lost his girlfriend but finally accepted responsibility for his child. Christian, who was just over two years old now, spent weekends at his Dad's house and sometimes more when his mum went to shows with her rock and roll boyfriend. Miguel. Whatever the fuck his name was, Johnny blamed him for splitting up Will and Heather who had been together since high school. All hope was not lost however as Heather and Will had slowly been piecing their relationship back together and were now friends again at least.

"Yeah that's great. I'm going now." And with that he was out the door without another word and walking the streets of Suburbia. After he had returned from the city he had realised he needed to sort his life out and he knew that Jingletown was the only place where he could do that. He belonged in Jingletown not in the city. Actually no, he belonged with his friends. Home is where the heart is after all as Tunny always said. He couldn't stay in the city anymore, the only friend he ever had there was Jimmy.

Jimmy. Thoughts of the city and his tragic friend filled his mind. Jimmy had always been kind of crazy, right from the moment Johnny met him. After spending a few weeks with him Johnny theorised that Jimmy was bipolar. Extreme mood changes were common when hanging out with Jimmy but even so Johnny had a connection with Jimmy that Jimmy had with no one else. and the Jesus of Suburbia ruling the city together. But that was over now and as much as Johnny loved his friend there was a part of him that was glad that Jimmy was gone, not that he was glad Jimmy had killed himself but he knew that he could never try to build a life for himself with Jimmy around.

He hadn't been there that day and it was one of the 40 thieves, Gerard that had told him the news.

* * *

><p>It was an almost stereotypically bad day that Jimmy killed himself. A storm danced and threw itself around the city, the anguished wind whipping the window panes aided by the rain smashing into them. Johnny sat in his and Jimmy's flat, in his own room. He had been avoiding Jimmy for two weeks now, ever since he had broken up with...Whatsername. He blamed Jimmy for it and right now he wasn't ready to see him. He had stayed in his room apart from when he heard Jimmy leave and also took to ignoring his friend's pleas through the door. They had stopped a few days ago and Johnny figured that Jimmy had finally gotten the message.<p>

So now he sat staring blankly at some bimbo on a reality TV show screeching about how unfair her perfect life was. He had made the decision to finally get a job yesterday and he'd got lucky and found an office job that day. Nothing exciting but it was a start at least and it would keep him away from watching crappy reality TV shows. He lit a cigarette and fell back so he was lying across the couch. His thoughts drifted to Will who he had left back at Jingletown without a second thought. This was probably what he was doing right now. Johnny decided he should go see his friend and apologise, when he had made a bit of money.

The sound of the door banging shut and someone calling his name startled him. But it wasn't Jimmy. Johnny got up with a sigh and cautiously padded to his bedroom door throwing it open to reveal Gerard at the end of the hallway. Gerard was a regular at this apartment and one of Jimmy's oldest customers, he shared a flat with Jimmy's friend Theo. Johnny always got on with Theo, the guy was hyperactive all the time but that just made the occasional boring city day more exciting. Gerard on the other hand, was a different story. He just seemed to be your typical junkie, and he always gave Johnny the impression that he would sell his own mother for a fix. He was staring at him now blue eyes wide and unblinking, dirty blonde hair falling into them as he grinned lazily.

"Hey, Jesus."

"Hi, Jimmy's not here." He cut straight to the point he didn't want to spend any more time in this conversation then he had to.

"Oh yeah I know he's dead" just like that. No warning, not even a sombre expression on his face. Just that maddening grin as he strolled into the kitchen of the flat. Johnny stood staring at the spot where Gerard had been for a moment his mind reeling. He followed Gerard into the kitchen watching as the man searched through the cupboards on a quest for something only he cared about.

"What?" Johnny frowned at the man assuming this was just a terrible joke.

"Oh, yeah! He's gone. He shot himself right in the head. Blew his brains out into the bay. Theo found him. He's devastated." Gerard finally seemed to find what he was looking for taking a box down from the top shelf of the kitchen as he laughed. "Of course, nobody else cares."

Johnny found his heart pounding erratically. He knew Jimmy needed him, Jimmy had pleaded at his door night after night, and Johnny had ignored him. He knew it would only take a mood swing and Jimmy would go searching for a release from his mental torture, he had tried before, and only Johnny had been there to stop him. Now he had essentially driven his friend to suicide, and nobody cared. No one cared for Jimmy but him and Theo. Not even the junkies that followed him around, worshipping him as they begged for another fix, cared that he was gone. Johnny watched Gerard with anger rising inside him.

"What the fuck do you mean nobody cares?" Gerard didn't even look up, too busy digging around in the box looking for something.

"Nobody cares. Exactly what I said. Nobody cares about Jimmy." He looked up suddenly then eyes flickering past Johnny before finally settling on him. "Does anyone care if nobody cares?"

Johnny didn't answer and Gerard was distracted by the discovery of what he had been searching for. Drugs. Gerard smiled and stood walking towards Johnny who still stood in the doorway of the kitchen.

"Well, I'll see you later Jesus."

He was leaving, he had come here for the drugs and now he was leaving. That was what he had done the whole time he knew Jimmy. He was only in it to get his pathetic fix so he could block out the hell of his own life. Johnny made two decisions at that moment. The first was that he was going to get clean and the second was that he was going to do something very uncharacteristic.

As his fist connected with Gerard's face the drugs fell out of the man's hand and Johnny bent to pick them up before standing and staring down at the bewildered junkie.

"Get the fuck out and don't come back."

After watching Gerard leave he turned back to the kitchen where his eyes landed on a folded piece of paper with his name written on in Jimmy's spiky disorganised handwriting. A piece of paper that Johnny had kept to this day.


	2. Chapter 2

Johnny found himself sitting on a greyhound bus for several hours, seated next to Will, heading to the city. He stared out the window lost in his own thoughts. As he took in the desert like scenery he realised once again how isolated Jingletown really was. He couldn't believe he was heading back, at least not so soon, after everything that had happened Johnny had hoped to stay away for a while. After Jimmy's suicide Johnny had fled pretty much straight away, not even waiting for the funeral or visiting the hospital or wherever they had taken him. Hell, he hadn't even stayed to talk to Theo. After the conversation with Gerard he had packed up after leaving a note in the flat for Theo leaving the flat and anything else there to him. Then he had sold his guitar and got a bus ticket home without looking back. There had been nothing there for him anymore now that Jimmy was gone. He had lost the girl of his dreams and one of the best friends he had ever had. No friends and no girls, as he had said when he had first met Jimmy. That trip had truly been a disaster.

However he was convinced that things could turn out well this time. This time it was him and Will off to the city. They had asked Tunny but he was too busy with his extraordinary girl to join them. He told them he would come next time. They weren't staying in the city this time; Johnny had learnt from his mistakes and had no intention of just packing up his stuff and heading off to a city full of strangers. They planned to stay there for a week or two, then to head back to Jingletown, just so Will could experience the city. Johnny hadn't been sure if he wanted to return to the city but after Will quietly reminded him that he had left him behind last time, Johnny agreed to accompany his friend on his first visit. He had gotten one of the other guys to cover any shifts he was working next week and they had headed home to prepare.

As he shifted his position on the seat slightly he heard the slight rustle of paper in his pocket. He wondered if he should show Will the note. He had told his friends a lot of what had happened in the city but there were still several dark secrets he had yet to tell them. He knew that Will was aware of how reluctant Johnny was to go back and it seemed, when he had asked, that he had been thinking about it for a while.

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><p>Johnny had always laughed at the losers that worked in the 7 eleven. They were people who had no skills or aspirations and who were truly desperate. In other words people who were like Johnny. Still it was the only way he could begin to get his life back on track. Although it wasn't that bad, really. His friends came in here all the time, this is where they used to hang out after all, and he was pretty much left to his own devices. And sure he had to deal with snotty children who thought that they owned the world and their parents who clearly thought they were better than they were (they wouldn't be shopping here if they were that good) but having his friends drop in all the time made it worth it.<p>

Well that's what Johnny was telling himself at that moment as he glared an ignorant pre-teen.

"I want that." He said one fat finger pointing at a chocolate bar.

"Well then, you'll have to pay for that. That's the law kid." Johnny repeated for what felt like the fourteenth time, gritting his teeth. The child looked at him through narrowed green eyes and Johnny began the countdown in his head.

5...4...3...2...1...

"MOTHER!" the scream rang through the whole store and Johnny silently congratulated himself on recognising the signs almost immediately. Sure enough a petite blonde woman bustled up to the counter.

"What is it sweetheart?" She said bending slightly to lay a hand on her sons shoulder.

"This man is being unreasonable." said the child. He was clearly a good actor as it sounded as though he was almost in tears. His mother looked up and glared at Johnny and the child flashed him a smug smile.

"You listen here you parasite. I, unlike you am a fully functioning member or society. I demand that you treat my son with the respect he deserves."

Johnny ran a hand over his cheek before eyeing the mother with something akin to the way that a sheep dog looks at a particularly difficult sheep. It was then he began the difficult process of explaining to the woman and her son that he would not treat her son with respect as her son was nothing but a common thief. Next came the always enjoyable experience of listening to the woman throw insults at him before storming out with her brat trailing behind her.

"And get a haircut!"

"How original! Although you really could use a haircut man!" Johnny jumped and turned to see Will standing their smirking. His friend may have accepted responsibility for his child, but he still looked the same scared teenager who sported his trademark black and blue hair with pride,.

"Yeah? Well, look whose talking. Mr. I've had this haircut since I was twelve." Johnny smiled back at Will. Will perched on the counter half turned to Johnny. There was silence in the store that was- thankfully- now devoid of customers. Not a bad silence though. There was often a silence between him and Will, the kind of silence that good friends fell into naturally, when the need to constantly impress each other had died down, leaving only friendship. Will was never one for too many words, it had always been Tunny and Johnny who had gone on their rants about being stuck in Suburbia. Will had always just been there, silent and supportive, showing his agreement through his actions not his words.

Johnny surveyed Will. He could tell that his friend wanted to say something to him but was hesitant to, so he decided to help his friend.

"Something on your mind buddy?" he asked feigning indifference but inwardly slightly concerned. Will looked at him his hazel eyes looking into Johnny's eyes. Eventually he began to speak, haltingly, like he was still unsure. Johnny braced himself for whatever Will was about to say. However when he heard his friend what his friend had to say he found himself completely unprepared.

"I want to go to the city."

* * *

><p>Johnny found himself being shaken awake. He couldn't even remember falling asleep but he blinked his eyes open to find Will grinning at him.<p>

"Good morning sleeping beauty, nice of you to join me!" Johnny glared slightly at his friend before looking out the window into the evening city. The bright lights danced and reflected off the window, swirling patterns flashing wildly. Hoards of unfamiliar faces streamed along the sidewalk all heading in different directions, all leading different lives, all with the possibility to fail or to succeed. A hive of activity. He glanced to Will and saw the excitement on his friends face. He still remembered the first time he went to the city and how excited he was to be there. Endless possibilities, new faces, new voices and the opportunity to make a name for himself. As they hopped off the bus Johnny found himself once again in the city with no plans and just a rucksack filled with his possessions. This time however there was a return bus ticket in his pocket.

"So...where to?" Johnny asked Will. His friend seemed to be bouncing as he strolled along the sidewalk his eyes darting all over the place as he took in the city.

"I don't know. You're the expert. A bar? A club?" Will didn't look at Johnny once as he spoke and Johnny bit his lip to hide his smile. Will reminded him of a dog on a car journey, he was only one step away from having his tongue lolling out happily.

"We should probably drop our stuff off before we go out."

"Fine. Where are we going to stay?"

Will finally looked to Johnny when he didn't receive an answer. Johnny was thrown by Will's question.

_That's a good question. We don't have any money_

Johnny had been in the same situation the first time but Jimmy had come to the rescue, taking him back to the flat where Johnny had stayed the whole year. The flat that he had left to Theo.

"I think we should go visit an old friend."

* * *

><p>Johnny froze outside the apartment block which held his old apartment. The place was a dump, old stone falling away in many places into the overlong patches of grass below. The grass was littered with old beer cans and god knows what else. Several of the windows were smashed and boarded up but there was one set of windows right at the top of the building that were untouched. Jimmy had a reputation around the city and so his windows were left untouched. It wasn't that Jimmy was violent of course but...well, bad things tended to happen to people that crossed him. People respected Jimmy, not many liked him, but he was fair and reasonably powerful. When he spoke people listened although he never tended to say anything about himself. Jimmy had been a distant man, Johnny could remember Theo being amazed at how much Jimmy opened up to Johnny. He had always told Johnny how he was the only one Jimmy had taken such an interest in and even trusted.<p>

They must think he still lives here Johnny thought to himself with a sad smile.

"You alright man?" Johnny jumped slightly and turned to Will who was watching him with that steady wise gaze.

"Yeah I-I was just thinking...it's been a while."

"We can leave if you want. I shouldn't have asked you to do this, I'm sorry man." Will already seemed to have forgotten all about his excitement in the wake of Johnny's reaction.

"No, no, no. It's fine. I want you to experience the city after I left you behind last time. Besides maybe if you'd been there things would have worked out better the first time. Tunny wouldn't have lost his leg or gone to war. I wouldn't have screwed things up with...Whatsername. Jimmy would still be..." Johnny trailed off, feeling his emotions over riding him and his voice beginning to crack.

Again Will was there. His arms around Johnny's shoulders, a comforting presence at the side of him. Johnny took a deep breath and looked down the street where he had first met Jimmy.

* * *

><p>Johnny wandered through the unfamiliar city streets his mind elsewhere. Tunny had left him. Tunny had ran off and joined the army.<p>

Tunny's dream turned red white and blue. But I thought that good guys... don't wear red white and blue. Nobody seems to agree on anything these days.

Johnny glanced at his surroundings for the first time in what felt like hours. He had somehow found his way off the main city streets and into a residential area. Not a pleasant one by the looks of it either. The street light cast a dim eerie glow over the cracked pavement. Broken glass lay littered across the street as though set out purposely to alert the occupants of intruders. Half of the houses had the windows and doors boarded up and there was one house that was now simply a burnt out shell. Johnny glanced in the other direction and found a block of apartments towering over the street like a vengeful deity surveying his monstrous creation.

Johnny pulled the sides of his coat together and crossed his arms over his chest as he quickened his pace slightly. He noticed a man leaning against the wall not too far from him and quickly lowered his head, hoping to pass without attracting too much attention. He sighed in relief once he had passed the man only to jump when he felt a hand on his arm.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" The man smiled at Johnny's discomfort, displaying discoloured slightly pointy teeth. His eyes were cold and mocking as he surveyed Johnny.

"You ain't from round here are ya?" Johnny shook his head and tried to pull away. He was distressed to find the grip on his arm tighten.

"Please let me go. I just came down here by accident man." Johnny grimaced to himself as he heard his own voice pleading for his safety. The shark like man grinned further and pulled Johnny towards him.

"Give me your money." He growled.

"I-What?" Johnny stuttered his brain too slow just when he needed it most. He tried to pull away only to find a knife in his face, smiling in the light, the same colour as the eyes of the man who held it.

"I said give me your fucking money!" The man was no longer smiling as he roared at Johnny, his grip now crushing.

"I-I-I don't have any..." Johnny cried wildly, unable to do anything else. It was that moment where it really struck him just how different the city was to suburbia.

"You lying little-"

"Let the kid go." A voice commanded from the darkness. The man holding Johnny didn't even look to see the source of the new voice. He simply tightened his grip and held the knife closer to Johnny's face. The cold steel pressed against his neck the feeling as unwelcoming as he had found the city to be.

"Who's gonna make me?" He growled eyes fixed on Johnny's wide eyes. Johnny tried to turn to see the source of the voice but the metal pressed against his neck effectively ensured that he didn't move an inch.

"I said let the fucking kid go!" The voice sounded from the shadows again. Cool and nonchalant as though discussing trivial matters but there was definitely an authoritative edge to the voice. This time the man turned, glare still fixed to his face, mouth open ready to hurl abuse at whoever had dared disturb him. However the glare soon slipped and Johnny watched fascinated as the man released him as though he had been burnt. The knife lowered as well and Johnny let ut a huge breath and slumped against the wall, a multitude of feelings running through him.

"St. Jimmy! I uh- didn't know it was you! I'm just going to go back ho-"the man was smiling now, but that smile looked less threatening and more pathetic now. The fear in the man's eyes turned the cold silver to an unimpressive dull grey.

"Get out of this damn street. Go!" The voice shouted a hoarse edge to the voice now, still though the voice sounded more amused than anything. The man who had attacked Johnny stumbled away like a wildebeest that had just barely escaped from the clutches of a ravenous lion. Johnny put his head in his hands. The only sound in the dark street his erratic breathing as he fought to calm himself. A soft crunch reached his ears and he moved his hands to see another hand being offered to him. The nails on the hand were short but painted black and the hand looked scarred and rough. He followed the hand to see a pair of wild blue eyes staring at him curiously. A piece of black hair fell into them from the messy head of hair on the man's head. The man continued to stare at him and the eyes began to look slightly amused. Johnny frowned before remembering the hand. Johnny took the man's hand and found himself being gently pulled to his feet.

"You alright there?" The stranger spoke again, his voice once again calm and smooth. Johnny thought about it for a moment, seriously considering the question.

"Yeah, I guess so. Thank you..." Johnny trailed off realising that this was a stranger he was talking to, a dangerous one as well. There had to be a reason why the shark like man was so scared of him. An awkward silence filled the air as Johnny tried to decide whether to run or not.

"I'm St. Jimmy by the way."

Johnny hesitated slightly before deciding to just go for it. He came to the city to have exciting experiences after all.

"Johnny. But uh- people from where I'm from call me the Jesus of Suburbia." Johnny closed his eyes slightly almost convinced he was about to be mugged again. The man would know that any loser with a name like that would be easy pickings.

However a soft chuckle reached his ears and his eyes snapped open. St. Jimmy had a smirk on his face.

"I guess we're destined to meet each other. St. Jimmy and Jesus!" He smirked again and Johnny cautiously smiled back at him. "So you're from suburbia? Where are you staying? You with any friends?"

Johnny frowned again thinking of how Tunny abandoned him.

"I've got no one and nowhere to go. I guess you could say I'm lost."

St. Jimmy's smirk slipped away for a minute.

"I know the feeling kid. You're not the only one round here." Jimmy stared off into the distance for a moment before seeming to reach a decision. "Consider yourself found. You want to stay at my place?"

Johnny almost denied on instinct, being drilled not to trust strangers all your life can do that. However he looked at St. Jimmy's face and saw only honesty and a slight vulnerability. The wild eyes seemed to be desperate to look away from Johnny, as though Jimmy was anxious or embarrassed. He watched as the man in front of him ran a hand through his hair, spiking it up, in a gesture that reminded him of Will.

"Yeah sure, if you don't mind!" Johnny smiled at St. Jimmy as he looked up with shocked eyes.

"No, of course not...let's go!"

* * *

><p>Johnny had gone with Jimmy into the apartment block standing in front of them. He looked to Will at his side and smiled slightly.<p>

"Okay let's go."

He strolled to the door and as he laid his hand on the handle, he couldn't help but to feel as though he was home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: Hey there guys. I'm so sorry this update took so long. I know you probably don't care/ are tired of hearing excuses from authors on but my laptop has been broke for ages. Only got it fixed the other day so couldn't update. I know, I know. I shall go sleep on the cyber couch while you fume away in the cyber bed.**

**Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed also. I appreciate it :)**

**Enough rambling...**

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><p>Johnny stared at the faded green paint on the door as he worked up the courage to knock. He took a deep breath then gently rapped on the door with his knuckles, as if he was hoping that his knock wouldn't be heard. He mentally chastised himself before raising his fist to knock again. However before he could, the door swung open with a creek, as though protesting its use. A man stood staring with what were usually wild eyes but were currently dulled with sleep.<p>

The man looked at Johnny for a moment, a slight frown gracing his features before his eyebrows rose.

"Johnny?"

Johnny smiled slightly as he heard that oh so familiar voice. As he heard the voice of one of his only true friends in the city.

"Hey Theo..."

* * *

><p>Johnny sat in the unfamiliar apartment, sitting slightly on the edge of his seat, not wanting to lounge on the sofa in case he seemed ungrateful. The apartment he was in had a fairly spacious lounge room but the room seemed empty, as though it was not often used. The wallpaper was a plain white with a light blue boarder running along the top like a small piece of sky visible through the heavy cloud cover. There was a Television on opposite the couch that Johnny sat on, playing some kind of music channel, a quiet hum in the background of the otherwise silent room. The only real decoration in the room seemed to be the various posters and flyers pinned to the wall in a seemingly random way. Various band posters and flyers to rock shows were scattered all over the wall. The organisation seemed to scream manically, as though it were more than just a wall full of posters, but a glance into the mind and heart of the creator. The simple wooden floor was also covered with several piles of flyers, clearly not precious enough to belong on the wall, but too important to throw away.<p>

However these details did not hold Johnny's attention for long. He was too busy gazing at the man who had rescued him. St Jimmy was sprawled on an armchair on the other side of the room, seemingly oblivious to Johnny's attention. Although St. Jimmy had barely said more than a few sentences to him, Johnny was intrigued by the young man opposite him. There was an atmosphere that surrounded , something in the way he carried himself. And in the eyes, those fantastically blue eyes, eyes filled with emotion. Eyes that had seen things that others couldn't imagine eyes of a man that had a hell of a story to tell but remained silent. He didn't make a habit of going into strangers homes but at the moment, not only was he alone, but he just had a feeling that he had to accept St. Jimmy's offer. That they were destined to meet. Johnny rolled his eyes slightly at his inner thoughts, grimacing when they sounded like something from one of Heather's cheesy novels.

Jimmy's gaze was firmly fixed on the ceiling so Johnny was surprised when he heard that slightly hoarse voice.

"I'm not gonna hurt you kid."

Johnny jumped slightly before frowning at the words. Jimmy looked towards him with a slight smile.

"You were looking at me. Don't worry. If I wanted to hurt you I would have done it on the street."

Johnny blushed slightly at having been caught staring but quickly rushed to correct Jimmy.

"Oh no...I wasn't worried. I was just thinking." Jimmy tilted his head slightly at Johnny's words, eyes lit up with curiosity. Johnny waited a moment for St. Jimmy to speak but when he said nothing Johnny continued. "Thank you, by the way. For taking me in. I appreciate it."

Jimmy continued to gaze at him for a moment, as though trying to understand Johnny, before smiling and looking to the TV for a moment.

"No problem. What are you doing so far from home?"

Johnny hesitated slightly, wondering if he wanted to share his story with this stranger. Again however he got the feeling that Jimmy was someone he could trust, someone who could help Johnny.

"I wouldn't exactly call it home." Johnny was surprised at the bitterness in his own voice. Jimmy on the other hand simply turned his head to look at Johnny again, eyes attentive as they caught the light slightly. "I didn't belong in that shit hole. I only had a couple of friends and the rest of the town can rot as far as I'm concerned. Not much family either. My step dads an asshole and my mum's been distant ever since..."

Johnny stopped suddenly nearly choking on his words. He put his head in his hands, not realising that he had gotten so emotional so quickly. He sighed as he tried to find the strength to continue before looking up in surprise when the couch dipped slightly under the weight of someone else. St. Jimmy was now sat right next to him on the couch, eyes sorrowful and understanding but still filled with that ever present curiosity. Encouraged by the mere presence of St. Jimmy Johnny continued. "My dad died. Ever since then she's been a different person. She doesn't care if I come or go. So I came here, to the city." Johnny stopped and smiled slightly remembering an old joke.

"I held up my local convenience store to get the bus ticket." Jimmy looked at him oddly. "Actually, I stole the money from my mum's dresser!"

Johnny grinned as Jimmy raised an eyebrow, glancing at him as though wondering what kind of lunatic he had let into his home.

"Actually she lent me the cash...fucking bitch!" Johnny said with a dramatically exasperated look. He felt a smile spread across his own face as he heard Jimmy laugh. He looked to Jimmy and his smile grew into the standard Cheshire cat smile when he saw Jimmy's eyes shining and filled with amusement. Jimmy opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

* * *

><p>It had been Theo at the door that time, just as it was Johnny standing there now as Theo gazed at him in surprise. When he had met Theo he had not exactly been welcoming, however Johnny later found out this was because he was fiercely protective of Jimmy, and they became close friends. He just hoped that they were still close friends and Theo would take them in now. He hadn't meant to leave Theo alone to deal with Jimmy's death but he hadn't been thinking. He just knew that he had to flee the scene. He had simply packed up and left when he heard from Gerard.<p>

Johnny looked to Will and saw that he looked half amused and half worried as he gazed at Theo who was still gawping at Johnny. Johnny realised that they had stood in silence for quite some time now and cleared his throat awkwardly.

"I know this is kind of out of the blue and all, but uh...would it be okay if we crashed here for a couple of days?"

Still Theo did not respond and Johnny began to organise the jumbled words in his head into some kind of suitable apology for leaving. He was saved from that ordeal however by Theo finally recovering his voice.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea..." Theo trailed off when he saw the crestfallen look on Johnny's face. "No it's not 'cause...you don't understand w-look, maybe you should come in."

Johnny had been devastated when he thought that his only living friend in the city was going to turn him away but he now found himself curious at what Theo wanted to say. He nodded and followed Theo into the apartment, Will trailing behind, shuffling as he looked around in awe of the wall in the living room. As they passed through the lounge into the kitchen Johnny realised that Theo had left it exactly the same as when Jimmy had lived here. He swallowed hard and tried to control his emotions as he entered the kitchen and took a seat at the small round table. Will sat down next to him, slightly awkwardly, as though unsure that he should be there.

"You want a drink?" Johnny jumped slightly at Theo's words before shaking the thoughts from his head.

"Uh yeah sure...beer?" Theo nodded. "Thanks."

Theo then turned back to Johnny two beers in hand.

"How about you uh...?" Theo trailed off and Johnny realised that he had not introduced his two friends from what seemed like two separate lives for him. It was surreal for Johnny seeing the two worlds mixing. He had always felt like the time in the city had been lived by someone else. It could not have been Johnny, just a loser kid from Suburbia that had experienced all of that.

"Will" Will supplied his own name and Johnny chastised himself for drifting too deeply into his own thoughts again.

A wide grin broke out across Theo's face for a moment, chasing away the anxiety that had sat there a moment ago. Johnny smiled slightly too, that was how Theo was supposed to look. Theo nearly always had a wide grin on his face and he seemed unnatural without it.

"So this is the famous Will huh?" Theo turned to Johnny who nodded returning Theo's grin with his own. Theo then turned to look at Will who looked bemused. "Johnny told us all about you."

Will looked at Johnny with one eyebrow elegantly arched then smiled as Johnny flushed slightly in embarrassment. Will just winked at Johnny who laughed, relieved.

"Glad to hear that my legacy made it to the city even if I didn't." There was no bitterness to the friendly tone but Johnny still found himself wincing slightly in guilt.

"Oh yeah...that must have sucked man. Seeing your best friends go off to the city without you." Theo had been the one, along with Jimmy, who had listened to Johnny. Listened when Johnny put on his act, talking about how Will was a loser who deserved to be stuck at home and how Tunny was a moron for joining the army. They had also listened when Johnny broke down after too many drinks, lamenting about how he was worried for Tunny and how sorry he was for abandoning his best friend Will. Theo knew better than anyone else in the city, the story of the three friends from Suburbia.

"Yeah, it kind of did." Will said with a shrug. "That's why I asked Johnny to come with me this time."

"Yeah but once again Theo, I've planned it badly and we have nowhere to stay. That's why I came here to ask you if we could...stay here." Johnny looked at Theo. Hesitating when the smile fell from his face once again, replaced by uncharacteristic anxiety. Theo padded across the chequered tiles of the kitchen floor before falling into a seat opposite the two men. He placed a beer in front of each of them before taking a swig of his own.

"Look guys...Johnny. There's something you have to know." Theo broke off then taking a deep calming breath, as though he were on the verge of freaking out.

"Theo what's wr-"Johnny began to ask before he was cut off by Theo's high speed, worried rambling.

"I would have told you earlier man but I didn't know how to get in touch with you. You just disappeared. I found the note you left but I still didn't have any way to get in touch with you. It was all kind of crazy here, y'know?" he laughed nervously. "I almost killed Gerard for talking about something that he didn't really know anything about. You punched him right? He deserved it but-"

"Theo! What's wrong man?" Johnny was almost panicking himself now, just listening to the nonsensical ramblings of his friend. Theo stopped like a deer caught in the headlights as he stared at Johnny with wide eyes.

"He was wrong!" he blurted out suddenly.

"Who was wrong?" Johnny shouted back, puzzled.

"Can someone tell me what's going on here? I really have no i-"Will was cut off by Theo's next announcement.

"Gerard." Johnny felt his heart rate speed up as he began to jump to conclusions.

"About what?" Johnny asked suddenly quiet. Theo didn't reply. "ABOUT WHAT?" Johnny exploded, rage and hurt in his voice as he began to put two and two together.

"About-about-"

Theo was cut off by a voice that Johnny knew well. A voice he never thought he would hear again, other than in his dreams and more often than not nightmares. A voice whose owner had changed Johnny's life once, and was once again about to turn Johnny's life upside down.

"Well, well, well. Jesus of Suburbia, returns to his kingdom." Johnny froze at that voice, a tidal wave of emotions washing over him. Disbelief outweighed all others at that moment so Johnny turned slowly, as though trapped in some kind of cheesy movie.

His eyes widened as he took in the smirking face of Jimmy.

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><p><strong>Authors note: I'll try and update again soon guys as I'm off school for two weeks. <strong>

**If anyone actually reads this, I'd like your opinion on this. I'm wondering whether I should do multiple points of view now that the story is finally getting somewhere or just stick with Johnny's P.O.V! Let me know what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4

Just when he needed his brain, it had seemingly jumped ship and left Johnny alone to try and deal with this situation. His head filled with white noise and half sentences while he stood there stupidly gawping at the man he believed to be dead. So many emotions were fighting to be dominant in his head that he ended up feeling nothing; there was simply numbness and confusion as he stared at Jimmy. He glanced to Will and Theo in case he was imagining it. Theo stood there looking half guilty and half cautious while Will still sat in his seat staring at a point above Jimmy's head clearly deep in thought. Neither of them said anything and Johnny turned back to the still smirking face of St. Jimmy. It was clear that Johnny was being left to initiate conversation.

"I-Jimmy-you're-you...huh?" Johnny stuttered before praising himself for the genius statement that just left his mouth. Jimmy smirked even more, his brilliant eyes piercing Johnny's. He let out a huff of a laugh before moving into the room slightly, his movements as fluent as ever.

"It's almost like you're not pleased to see me Johnny boy!" he said his gruff voice amused. He stared at Johnny for a moment longer until Johnny fell back into his seat, legs unable to hold his weight any longer, then Jimmy strolled round the table. He dropped into the seat in-between Theo and Will, leaning back and propping his feet on the table. He grabbed Theo's beer bottle and took a swig prompting a slightly annoyed glare from Theo. Jimmy swatted Theo's reaching hand away and Theo stood up to get another beer muttering under his breath.

Jimmy smiled and turned his gaze back to Johnny.

"No-I..." Johnny tried to tell Jimmy that he wasn't displeased to see Jimmy, just shocked. However as he fought to form the sentence in his head he found himself questioning the statement. Jimmy had been his friend, his best friend even but he had also nearly completely destroyed his life. He was destructive and prone to unpredictable mood swings.

"It's alright. You don't have to lie." The smile was still in place as he took another swig, tilting his head backwards. However as he lowered his head again his gaze had darkened and the smile slipped slightly. "You did abandon me after all."

Theo's face immediately fell and he tensed up. The entire atmosphere in the room changed. Johnny flinched slightly at the bitterness and hurt in Jimmy's voice. Theo looked to Johnny and when it became clear that he still couldn't form a sentence he spoke up trying to calm Jimmy.

"St..." he said placing a hand cautiously on Jimmy's wrist. Jimmy threw his hand off eyes still flashing a steely blue.

"You left me!" his voice was not raised, but that only made it all the more terrifying. Johnny fought his conflicting emotions before deciding to fight for his friendship.

"No...Jimmy, I-I thought you were dead! Gerard said you were-"

"Gerard is a lying piece of shit and always was!" Jimmy shouted, interrupting him. His face was growing red as he worked himself into a fury.

"But he said you were dead! I didn't think he would lie about that!"

"Well he fucking did! And you left! I trusted you!" Jimmy screamed throwing his feet off the table, knocking the beer bottle off as he did. The bottle shattered on the floor, the sound echoing through the now quiet kitchen. The only sound Jimmy's heavy breathing as he closed his eyes tightly trying to calm himself.

There it was, thought Johnny, trust. That was what really mattered. Jimmy had never really trusted anyone after having a tough life. The only people he ever really trusted when Johnny lived in the city were Johnny and Theo. Johnny had betrayed that trust in his eyes and that meant a lot to Jimmy.

"I thought you were dead. God Jimmy, I-I was devastated." Johnny said quietly his voice breaking. Will moved his hand to rest on Johnny's wrist offering his silent support as always.

"Oh so you thought I was dead but you left. Didn't stick around for the funeral or anything! You just left like all the other junkie scum. The only one who stayed was Theo. You didn't even stay to help him! After all we had done for you! Makes me think you were only hanging around me for the free drugs."

Johnny couldn't tell if Jimmy's thoughts or the look on his face was more devastating. He suddenly felt a huge surge of guilt. He had always felt guilty for not helping Jimmy when he needed it most. He had ignored him as he was pissed about Whatsername, and that had lead to Jimmy's suicide. Now that he knew Jimmy was still alive, it didn't even make him feel better as he had once again abandoned his friend when he needed him.

"Oh god, Jimmy I'm so-"

"No. Fuck you. It's fine. You left just like everyone always leaves me. I'm a fucking bad person, I get it. Now fuck off." Jimmy stormed out the room with the three remaining occupants staring after him with heartbroken eyes. There was a sound of the bedroom door slamming before the kitchen was once again left in stunned silence.

Johnny sat there absorbed in his own thoughts. He jumped slightly at the sound of a chair shifting, raising his eyes from the surface of the table to see Theo cleaning up the broken glass and beer.

* * *

><p>THEO's POV<p>

When Theo sat down again Johnny looked to him with eyes filled with the questions he needed answering. Theo began to explain without Johnny even asking him, he just knew that Johnny needed to know.

"He never..." he cleared his throat, his voice thick with emotions as he recalled that day, that awful day when he nearly lost his two best friends. He forced himself to continue. Johnny had to understand, only when he understood could he possibly make up with St. Jimmy. Only then would Theo have his two best friends back.

* * *

><p>Theo could barely control his breathing as he sprinted to the canal. He had found the note five minutes after he heard the door slam. He had gone to the kitchen for a drink. Or that was his cover anyway. He was actually trying to check up on the two feuding men he considered to be his brothers. Both of them had been depressed lately. Jimmy more so but Johnny was trying to get over a break up, so he was down as well. When he had heard someone leave without a farewell he decided to head out and check on them. He had found it then. The note. The note that spoke of what Jimmy intended to do. He finally made it to the canal and sprinted along the path until he saw a small crowd gathered under a bridge a little way up. He quickened his pace as he saw a lone figure standing on the edge of the barrier.<p>

He almost broke down as he realised that it was Jimmy who stood there teetering dangerously on the edge of the bridge, a gun held in his shaking hand as he held it to his head. Theo shoved the crowd out of the way, mostly consisting of junkies who often trailed after Jimmy looking for a fix.

"Jimmy!" He screamed as loud as he could, managing to drown out the sound of the muttering junkies. Jimmy froze the gun halfway to his head. He looked down, eyes filled with desperation, like a lost little boy. That was just what he was. He had a tough upbringing, had been forced to grow up. He always acted the tough guy, like he was above it all but Theo knew that, deep down, he was just a scared little boy.

"Theo...I..." Jimmy spoke quietly, voice barely audible over the outdoor noises. Volume stolen by the cruel wind as it thrashed excitedly. Theo took one more look at Jimmy silhouetted against the grey sky. It was almost like a film, the typically stormy weather, the way Theo's life seemed to be moving in slow motion. He found himself wishing that it was a film. That someone else was stuck up there with a gun to their head. It wasn't Jimmy. It couldn't be his friend, who was looking for a way out. Couldn't be his best friend that felt he couldn't go on living anymore.

Theo closed his eyes for a moment before rounding furiously on the crowd of junkies. He knew there was no way he could help Jimmy with those losers gawping at them.

"Piss off!" They just stared at him mouths open in shock at his words. He was usually one of them. One of the boys. One of the boys who were willing to just stand and watch as their leader topped himself. "You heard me! Fuck off. Now!"

They scattered as he began advancing towards them. There was relative quiet between the two men now. Not silence, the wind was still making itself heard and the familiar sounds of the city could be heard in the background.

"Jimmy...lower the gun." A soft patient voice now. Talking to the lost little boy.

Jimmy's eyes darted to the gun and Theo thought for sure he would lower it but something seemed to stop him and he raised it again. Eyes hardening, looking for all the world like he had a purpose.

"No." He barks voice rough and wavering as he attempts to sound strong. "I can't take it anymore Theo. I can't take it..."

Theo is panicking inside but remains calm on the exterior, he needs to appear calm to Jimmy. Jimmy needs to believe that Theo has it all under control. That Theo can make everything better.

"Can't take what J?" he asks softly, Jimmy answers without hesitation, which only goes to convince Theo further that this is something he's been planning for a while.

"All of it. My life is fucking pointless. I don't have anyone."

"You've got me..." Jimmy looks Theo with guilty eyes before they dart away wildly seeking something else, something to reassure the owner. "and Johnny."

"I don't have Johnny." A roar this time from Jimmy, his face twisting and distorted in anger. "He went off with that whore. That bitch that left him." The anger falls now replaced with a sadness and Theo finds himself almost preferring the anger to this empty sadness. "And he blames me. He blames me Theo. I stayed with him and he wishes I was the one that had gone away."

Theo has a plan now. Knows how he can get Jimmy back home safely, where Theo can watch him.

"We'll talk to him." Jimmy looks to him in shock, as though the option had never occurred to him.

"He won't listen." He says again, believing all hope is lost.

"I'll make him listen." Theo growls this time, frustrated at Johnny. Johnny of all people should know that the front Jimmy puts on is just a defence mechanism. Johnny should know how fragile Jimmy really is. "Johnny cares about you J. He's just frustrated. Just...lower the damn gun. We'll help you, me and John. We can start again; we can leave the city, whatever you want. We'll start a new life together, all three of us. Just please, please... don't do this."

He watches as Jimmy processes this in that warped, twisted, yet brilliant mind of his. He barely dares to breathe and finally after what seems an age, Jimmy looks to him. Looks to him as he lowers the gun.

"Okay."

* * *

><p>Johnny's P.O.V<p>

"...and then we got back. And you were gone." Theo fell silent as he reached the end of his tale.

Johnny now felt guilt and regret battling away for dominance inside of him, like two young male lions fighting for their pride, before they seemingly mixed into a cocktail of despair that washed over Johnny. Jimmy had come down from there with the promise of repairing their damaged relationship, and Johnny had snatched that chance, that hope he had left in life away from him. And now Johnny understood. Understood why Jimmy was so angry, understood why Theo now looked so tired.

He stared at the table lost in his own thoughts for a moment before abruptly standing up.

"I'm going to see him. I'll make this right."


	5. Chapter 5

**Authors Note: Hey guys, sorry for the long wait but the dreaded exams arrived! In fact I should be revising physics at this very moment. But I'm not. Sue me!**

**I've decided not to do the ultimate fanfic challenge any more because of two things. 1) You're only allowed to write one story at a time and 2) you're not allowed to plan! **

**So now I've dropped out, updates might be a bit quicker as I can actually plan where this thing is going properly :) **

**Also I'm probably going to post another American Idiot story at some point soon! About Jimmy's childhood. All my stories are in the same universe if you know what I mean, so it's like a backstory for the Jimmy in this fic.**

**Anyway thanks for the support, reviews and alerts! Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Johnny didn't hesitate as he pushed his way into Jimmy's room, though his shoulders did tense as he anticipated the heavy object that he was sure Jimmy would hurl at him. However he was pleasantly surprised when no such blow came. Hesitantly he raised his head, smiling slightly at the room that seemed so familiar.<p>

Johnny had always imagined that Jimmy's room was like a portal into his head. Everything in the room seemed to scream Jimmy. Johnny surveyed the band posters and flyers covering most of the walls with a sad smile as he realised there were still no photos up there. Jimmy had no one in his life, but he had found meaning in music, amongst other things. He then turned his gaze to the one wall that did not contain band posters. The wall was filled with words, all written in Jimmy's scrawled handwriting. Some were song lyrics, others were just phrases or seemingly random words. All of them were outpourings of Jimmy's jumbled, manic mind. Johnny swallowed as he read the line that had clearly been added since Johnny left.

Nobody likes you, everyone left you. They're all out without you, having fun.

He swallowed as Jimmy's voice sounded from the darkness of the room.

"What the fuck do you want?" the venom in Jimmy's voice made him want to flinch and run away. However Johnny knew he had to sort out his relationship with Jimmy sooner or later. He didn't want to be the one to drive Jimmy over the edge. Again.

"Jimmy..." he cautiously stepped towards the shadow slumped against the wall on the other side of the room. He knelt down swiftly, grabbing the wrist of the man. Jimmy immediately struggled and tried to pull away but Johnny's grip was strong.

"Get off of me!" He struggled harder as Johnny applied slight pressure to his legs to prevent him kicking. "Johnny, I fucking mean it. Get off!"

The struggling continued as Johnny held Jimmy in a vice like grip. He didn't let go.

"Jimmy, I'm sorry." The struggling paused for a minute before it continued, even more vigorously. Johnny continued to speak, rushing his words to ensure he had a chance to say them before it was too late. "It wasn't your fault, man. I left because I thought it was my fault. I couldn't handle that. I ignored you when you needed me because I was hung up over some girl who I barely even knew that well. She wasn't that important overall, I guess..."

Johnny realised that Jimmy had stopped struggling and was now staring at Johnny, gaze filled curiosity, like a child inspecting a stranger. Johnny swallowed slightly and forced himself to continue with the not completely truthful story he was about to tell.

"She was just there, y'know? You introduced me to her at a party. I guess I just liked her, no girl had ever really paid much attention to me before."

* * *

><p>Johnny grinned as he finished yet another beer. The waves of noise around him, swept over him as though he were lost at sea during a storm. He had been in the city almost a month now, and this party Jimmy had took him to seemed to represent his new home pretty well. There were people everywhere, crowded in various groups. Each small group completely ignorant of the other groups, as they were wrapped up in their own fun. Each group had found their own task, but each was exciting, wild and loud. Johnny looked over at a particularly wild group of people sitting in a uneven circle across the room as a cheer rose from them.<p>

The crowd were laughing and whooping as they applauded a couple kissing in the centre of the circle...at least, Johnny thought they were kissing. Certainly no one had ever kissed like that in Jingle town. Mind you, that was probably a good job, if Johnny had ever seen the elderly, boring nimrods from Jingletown trying to eat each other's faces; he would probably have thrown up. The couple pulled apart with the green haired girl throwing a flirtatious smile at the now smirking man. Johnny realised with a jolt that the man was Jimmy, who was throwing his signature smirk as he ran a hand through his messy black hair. Johnny had just begun wondering if Jimmy actually knew this girl when they both sat down in the circle. Johnny realised that the rowdy crowd were playing spin the bottle. He frowned slightly, wondering how drunk they actually were to think that that was a fun game.

He took another sip of his beer, as he scanned the grinning crowd. His eyes immediately froze as they landed upon one particular woman. It was the hair that caught his attention first; it was wild, curly and dark, with a bright pink streak in it. The streak in her hair stood out in the dark curls as much as she now stood out in the room to him. She was smiling as she watched an extremely drunk, wobbling man reach forward to spin the bottle. Johnny could no longer process anything; all of his brain was focussed on the girl. She was...beautiful. He scanned the rest of her quickly, taking in her pink doc martins and black fitted dress. Her outfit certainly didn't seem to match her visage. She looked like an innocent good girl. Her outfit seemed to say otherwise.

She looked up and her eyes fell on Johnny. They were just as beautiful as the rest of her, light brown, like chocolate. Johnny suddenly snapped back to reality and scolded himself for such sickening, ridiculous, romantic thoughts. Then he realised that he had been caught and was still staring at her. He blushed and looked away quickly, his own eyes falling on to his beer bottle. He took a deep swig of the beer before chancing a glance back over at the girl through his shaggy hair. He found to his relief that she was no longer looking at him, but she was talking to Jimmy. Johnny tried not to flinch when she pointed at him, pretending to be ignorant of the attention. He saw Jimmy look over at him and smirk before he spoke to the girl. She looked as though she was about to reply, before the bottle landed with its neck pointing towards her like an accusatory finger. She turned away from Jimmy and began to smile at the man approaching her.

Johnny sighed as he turned back to his drink, thinking he was finally off the hook. He jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder. He looked up to find Jimmy, eyes bright and dancing as he grinned at Johnny.

"Johnny, my man, stop moping and follow me," with that he sauntered off leaving Johnny no choice but to follow him. He followed Jimmy up the stairs. He didn't even know whose house this was, but Jimmy seemed to know all the rockers and partiers in the city. The noise downstairs grew gradually quieter as they entered the deserted upstairs landing. Jimmy opened a door and peered in. He began snorting with laughter, causing Johnny to look in over his shoulder. He blushed and averted his eyes from the couple who were-who were...enjoying themselves...on the bed. Jimmy continued giggling as the couple looked slightly horrified.

"My apologies!" Jimmy said sounding incredibly amused and insincere. He closed the door and continued down the hallway. He tried another door and found it empty; he stepped in flicking the light on as he went. He turned to Johnny, who was still a deep red colour.

"Aw, bless you. You're so cute when you blush!" he said mockingly, as though he were talking to a child. He pinched Johnny's cheek and smirked when Johnny slapped it away. He closed the door behind them and surveyed the bedroom they had found themselves in.

"Get on the bed." Jimmy commanded suddenly.

"What? Jimmy, I know I'm hot and all but we've barely even dated!" Johnny joked as he put on a girly voice. Something seemed to flicker in Jimmy's eyes for a moment before he too grinned.

"Just sit down."

Johnny did so and watched curiously as Jimmy threw off his leather jacket, leaving him in just an AC/DC t-shirt and his usual black skinny jeans. He flopped down on the bed next to Johnny, slouching as always.

"So, you got your eye on a girl huh?" Johnny began spluttering and denying everything but Jimmy cut across him easily. "Aw, my little Johnny-kins is growing up!"

Johnny glared at him for the strange nickname as he felt his face flush.

"'Bout time anyway, dude! I've been wondering if you were actually human. You've never shown any interest in anyone, man or woman." Johnny looked down at the bed covers, wishing he could escape the conversation. He knew there was no escape though, Jimmy would find him. "So you gonna talk to her?"

Johnny looked at Jimmy as though he were crazy, which resulted in Jimmy looking at him exasperatedly.

"Seriously, man. You should probably talk to her instead of just staring at her like a crazy stalker."

Johnny finally found his voice.

"She wouldn't be interested."

Jimmy got up and began rummaging in his coat pocket for something.

"Think again, my friend. She told me you were cute." Jimmy smirked at Johnny as he said that, laughing as Johnny looked shocked. "Talk to her."

It was the soft tone to Jimmy's usually hoarse voice that finally convinced him. They both went back down to join the rest of the party. Jimmy had produced a couple of pills from his pocket that had left Johnny feeling giggly and much less nervous. In fact he couldn't even see why he was nervous in the first place.

Drug use with Jimmy was a common occurrence but Johnny hadn't gotten too extreme yet. While he had taken a few pills Jimmy had been shooting up as he often did. He had offered Johnny some of what he referred to as 'the good stuff' but Johnny had declined, still too afraid of being seriously drugged. Jimmy had simply shrugged, not pressuring Johnny at all. As they joined the circle who were still playing spin the bottle both Johnny and Jimmy were both giggling and leaning on each other. Johnny sat next to Jimmy who had conveniently managed to sit opposite the girl. She grinned as Johnny caught her eye. He looked away, suddenly feeling quite nervous once again. He was jolted from his thoughts as Jimmy nudged him. He looked down at the bottle to find it pointing towards him. He looked up at the rest of the circle to find everyone looking expectantly at him. He reached down and span the bottle, refusing to look up as it slowed. He thought for a moment that fate was going to make life easy for him. Yeah, right, he thought as the bottle pointed towards Jimmy.

Jimmy looked completely unconcerned as Johnny looked about confused.

"So, er, what happens? Do I spin again-or-?" he said with a nervous laugh.

"What's the matter Johnny boy, you afraid?" Jimmy smirked as he moved into a kneeling position.

"What? No. I just-" Johnny froze as he realised that jimmy intended to go through with the kiss. He glanced at the rest of the circle who were looking at them expectantly. His eyes fell briefly on the girl who was also gazing at him.

Jimmy leaned in close and whispered in Johnny's ear.

"Believe me, this'll get her attention."

Johnny barely had time to process that before he found Jimmy kissing him. As soon as his brain finished processing that message, he began to kiss back. As Jimmy pulled away once again smirking, Johnny realised that it wasn't bad. Different, he thought with a very slight frown, Jimmy was stubbly. None of the girls he had ever kissed in Jingletown had had a beard...well there was that one girl. Johnny grimaced at the thought before smiling at the cheers the crowd were directing his way. The girl across the circle smiled at him and he smiled back. He was so enthralled by her that he didn't notice the strange look in Jimmy's eyes.

* * *

><p>"I was flattered. It wasn't you fault she left. You're right, she was a bitch." Jimmy was looking at him and Johnny suddenly thought of how innocent he looked. The lost child had made his appearance once again. There was still plenty of caution in Jimmy's eyes, as though he were still having a hard time believing Johnny wouldn't just leave him again.<p>

"She tried to separate us." Johnny considered this for a moment. That was true; she had tried to separate him and Jimmy. She had tried to turn Johnny against Jimmy. Not that she didn't have her reasons, but still. "She failed."

Jimmy's mouth twitched slightly at the corner and Johnny continued quickly hoping to turn it into a full smile.

"No one can succeed in that Jimmy. I came back. You're alive. Hell, you practically came back from the dead! You're like Jesus, man! Maybe we should change names!"

Jimmy smiled at that and Johnny found himself growing hopeful. He could stay in the city for a few weeks; get back on friendly terms with Jimmy. He could help Jimmy; try to get Jimmy to turn his life around, like Johnny had begun to. Will could become friends with Jimmy; his two best friends could become friends. His life would be connected, rather than feeling like he had lived in two separate worlds.

He thought all of this with a smile before a sudden thought made his heart sink. A few weeks. How the hell could he leave Jimmy again? But he couldn't leave the life he was trying to rebuild, could he?

He was startled from his thoughts by a small voice.

"Hey, Jesus?" He looked down at Jimmy.

"Yeah?" he asked, relieved that Jimmy had calmed. He watched as Jimmy opened and closed his mouth a few times. Johnny just waited patiently as that was something Jimmy often used to do when he was trying to say something that was difficult for him too say. Something he would only tell Johnny, usually.

"I missed you." Jimmy said avoiding his gaze.

Johnny smiled sadly, feeling as though someone was squeezing his heart tightly.

"I missed you too, J."

Jimmy looked up hopefully and Johnny slowly and cautiously pulled him into a hug. As Jimmy relaxed into the hug and brought his own arms up to return the hug, Johnny found that he once again, felt like he was home.

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><p><strong>Sorry about the last few lines. I know they're incredibly cheesy but I couldn't think of how else to express what I had in my mind! Hopefully I'll update soon!<strong>

**Thanks for reading**


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